Present for a Legend
by Cottonmouth25
Summary: It's the first Christmas the Gureis are spending in Kalos, and Volan is missing someone he left behind. Luckily for him, the residents of Vaniville Town are determined to turn this year's holiday season into the best he's ever had. Sort-of sequel to "Holiday of a Legend", takes place between "Tale of" and "Flight of a Legend", pure Voltlin fluff.


**Present for a Legend**

 **Salutations, greetings, and many great hellos!**

 **I wasn't originally going to write anything special this Christmas, but then this flash of inspiration came to me and I just had to follow through with it. I got this done in only a day. I'm very proud of myself.**

 **Knowledge of "Tale of a Legend" and "Flight of a Legend" will certainly help you read this, but it's not necessary. There's no real plot to this oneshot – it's just family, friends, and romance for your enjoyment. There's also a little sin but nothing M-rated.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon, any of its characters, or anything else associated with it.**

-.-.-.-.-.

 **Five Days before Christmas**

Volantes Gurei sighed, his gaze turning sad as the disappointment of seeing a blank video-phone screen sank in. His calls had been going to voicemail for the past several days, but he never got desensitized to it – each failed attempt at contact was just as painful as the last.

"Hi, Caitlin, it's me again," he spoke into the receiver. "I realize your position in the Elite Four is probably keeping you busy, and you know it isn't my intention to bother you, but it's been two weeks since we last spoke and I simply wanted to talk to you again sometime before Christmas. I hope we can speak again soon. Bye. Love you."

He turned off the video-phone and walked out of the kitchen, feeling weary. Thrin and their new friends and neighbors from Vaniville Town were still putting up the festive decorations that were a part of every holiday season in the Gurei household. The only Pokemon currently present was Bernice, perched atop the Christmas tree in a manner that reminded Volan vividly of last year.

That, if he was honest, really only made things worse.

"No luck today either, huh?" Thrin asked sympathetically, sitting down next to him on the sofa.

He shook his head. "It's starting to feel like I'm nagging her, but I miss her too much to really care at this point. Arceus, that sounds so selfish…"

"Nothing selfish about wanting to see the ones you love, bro," Tierno piped up from where he was stringing tinsel above the fireplace.

"I know," Volan sighed. "But I can't think of only myself – I have to think about Caitlin, too. Maybe she and her family have gone away to visit relatives or something. And coming home to find a ton of voicemails is only going to make her feel guilty, and that isn't fair."

Shauna, perched at the top of a small stepladder, hung another ornament on the tree before turning to look at him sympathetically. "Aw, cheerim up, Volan," she encouraged, with a Pokemon pun as usual. "Even if she is away, she's gotta come back eventually, right? You can torracatch up with her then!"

"I-I hate to impose," Trevor added nervously, from where he was hanging paper snowflakes by the windows, "b-but it's not like you'll be entirely alone. W-We'll be here to celebrate with you."

He headed toward the coffee table to grab another decoration, only to trip over a stray bulb and go toppling into the Christmas tree with a startled shout. The entire tree shook when he hit it, prompting Bernice to squawk and fly off so she wouldn't fall. She landed expertly on the sofa next to Volan.

" _Honestly,_ " the Unfezant muttered in Pokemon-speak.

Volan smiled at his friends, not aiming it at any one person in general, as he gave Bernice a soft pat to the head to calm her down. Imposing or not, Trevor was exactly right. He shouldn't be moping when there was no need. Caitlin or no, he still had his friends, and it wouldn't be right if he brought them down during the happiest time of the year.

They deserved better than that.

"Thanks, everyone," Volan told them. "I guess I was so caught up in what – or who – I didn't have, I forgot about those that I already do."

"No problem," replied Serena, as she went to help Calem carry some more boxes of decorations into the room. "That's what friends are for."

Adjusting his glasses before they slipped too far down his nose, Volan stood up and took a few steps toward the door. "Come on, Bernice," he implored his Starter. "Want to check on the others and see how they're doing with the dining room?"

Before she could even open her beak, there was a loud crash from the room of which he spoke.

" _Not Petrie's fault! Petrie not mean it!_ " a shrill voice could be heard protesting.

Now Bernice was able to speak. " _I can only imagine…_ "

When the two of them had left to survey whatever damage the enthusiastic Archeops had caused, Shauna climbed down off her stepladder and was about to open up the next box of Christmas ornaments, when she gasped loudly enough to make Trevor flinch and almost knock over the tree again.

"I just had the most awesomaldo idea!" she squealed, clapping her hands excitedly. "Thrin, you have Volan's girlfriend's address, right?"

Suspiciously, Thrin regarded the brown-haired girl's ecstatic face and briefly wondered whether or not she should be worried. "Yes…" she said slowly. "Why, what's your 'awesomaldo idea' involve? Kidnapping?"

Everyone else chuckled at the thought.

"No, even better!" Shauna exclaimed, nonplussed. "See, I don't think Volan just misses Caitlin – I think he misses _Unova_ too! If we all pitch in, we can give Volan the best hippopoliday in Kalos he'll ever have!"

-.-.-.-.-.

 **Four Days before Christmas**

The Vaniville gang was back at the Gurei household for more decorating, and they had brought over some ornaments that Volan found questionable, to say the least.

"Mistletoe," he deadpanned, holding up a sprig of the plant with raised eyebrows. " _Seriously_."

"Yep!" Serena replied, almost as excited as Shauna was on an everyday basis. "If you're having a Christmas party, you _have_ to have mistletoe!"

"Dear Arceus, are you trying to set someone up?" Volan asked. He dropped the plant back in the box. "I mean, Shauna and Trevor _would_ be cute together, but…"

The boy and girl in question both looked at each other and blushed flaming shades of red.

He gave them one glance and laughed at their reaction. "I'm only joking. But seriously, isn't mistletoe kind of cliché? Who's going to be kissing, me and Rickie?"

The Seismitoad, who was in the room with them, let out a rumbling croak of amusement. " _No offense, but I'd rather not._ "

" _An' don't go lookin' at me, either,_ " added Rudy the Krookodile.

Sapphire, though, got a sly look on her face. " _You know, I'd kiss you if no-one else would,_ " the Frillish purred.

" _Yuck,_ " Ulna gagged, and flew out of the room in disgust.

Volan was so busy laughing and bantering with his Pokemon that he completely missed the knowing look that Thrin and the Vaniville gang exchanged with each other.

-.-.-.-.-.

 **Three Days before Christmas**

This time, Volan and Thrin had the house to themselves – besides their Pokemon, obviously. Their mother was still working at Professor Sycamore's lab, which would only be closed for business on Christmas Day, and their friends were probably busy decorating their own houses.

So, with nothing else to do, Volan found himself with the free time to open his laptop and check the group chat that he had ongoing with his friends from Unova.

 **Volan is now online.**

 **Volan:** Anyone still there?

 **Stephan:** yo dude you are not going to beleive this

 **Volan:** What am I not going to 'beleive'?

 **Bianca is now online.**

 **Bianca:** WE GOT PLANE TICKETS TO KALOS!1! XD

 **Stephan:** we got letters in r mail this morning from ur friends inviting us 2 come over 4 the holidays

 **Stephan:** its pretty lit

 **Stephan:** volan r u still there?

 **Stephan:** dude

 **Stephan:** srsly

 **Bianca:** OMG I CANT WAIT! IMMA GO PACK RIHGT NOQ

 **Bianca:** RIGHT NOW*

 **Volan:** Sorry guys, I think I blacked out for a second. I'm as shocked as you are. I had no idea my friends were able to get tickets for you.

 **Bianca:** SO THIS WAS A CHRISTMAS SURPRISE FOR U! THAT'S SO SWEET!

 **Volan:** Bianca, your caps lock is still on.

 **Bianca:** Whoops sorry :P

 **Stephan:** this is the best Christmas present ever

 **Bianca:** Be sure to thank your friends for us okay? This was really nice of them

 **Volan:** I will.

 **Volan:** I wasn't expecting you to come over, though, so I haven't gotten you anything for Christmas. Sorry if I disappointed you.

 **Stephan:** no worries m8

 **Bianca:** Spending the holidays with you is the only present I need! 3

 **Volan:** That's so sappy Bianca. XD

 **Stephan:** we should b there on Christmas eve, the tickets were 4 a plane tomorrow

 **Volan:** Tomorrow?

 **Bianca:** Our parents are busy looking at hotels. We're staying in Lumiose and then taking a train to Aquacorde to spend Christmas Eve with you

 **Volan:** No need. Just stay at my place.

 **Stephan:** u r literally the best pal ever, u kno that?

 **Bianca:** I'd kiss you if you weren't taken :D

 **Volan:** Very funny. I should probably get going. Have to tell my mom we're having extra guests.

 **Stephan:** c u l8r

 **Bianca:** Byeeeeeee

 **Volan:** And if you hear from Caitlin, can you tell her I wished her Happy Holidays?

 **Volan has left the group chat.**

 **Bianca:** You can tell her in person ;)

 **Bianca:** Wait

 **Stephan:** dangit he already left

 **Bianca:** Awww… well at least it'll be a surprise ;)

-.-.-.-.-.

 **Two Days before Christmas**

It was snowing again.

At the beginning of winter, some weeks before, Volan had been surprised to learn that Kalos winters were actually much like Unova winters. There was never _not_ snow.

Right now, as he stepped outside with a hefty shovel in his hands and garbed in full cold-weather gear, the snowflakes were falling fast and thick as the wind propelled them. This morning, there had been about three feet of snow that had fallen on the yard that needed to be removed if anyone was to have a chance of reaching the front door. Just _looking_ at the small avalanche that had covered the yard was enough to make his back hurt.

Nevertheless, Volan set to work, straining against the heavy snow with every push. It took him over an hour, and by that time the piercing wind had turned his face red, but he finally cleared a neat little path from the front gate to the door. He let the shovel drop from his hands with a clatter and fell down beside it, finally allowing his fatigue to catch up with him.

Physical labor was definitely not a strong suit of his.

After he had caught his breath and dusted off the accumulating layer of snow from his coat, Volan went back inside to retrieve a large bag of seeds and dried berries for the wild Pokemon. With such heavy snowfall every year, those Pokemon that didn't hibernate or migrate would be hard-pressed to find food, and so Volan tossed out morsels for them whenever it snowed. They'd still be able to find the bits he scattered even if the falling snow covered them entirely, so he didn't worry about that.

This time, however, the food was immediately set upon by a mob of Murkrow. Volan knew the flock, and its leader, very well – he was pretty much the town's unofficial "keep-them-well-fed-enough-so-they-don't-steal-any-more-crops" guy. It was a job that kept him on his toes, since the Murkrow were always ravenous.

Ravenous… there was a pun somewhere in there, Volan could tell.

The biggest Murkrow, once it had eaten its fill, fluttered clumsily into the bare branches of a nearby tree, and the branch upon which it landed bobbed precariously under its increased weight. Once it was settled, the Murkrow gave Volan a casual salute with its wing as thanks, and he waved back. That particular Dark-and-Flying-type had been growing closer to him ever since he took it upon himself to feed the flock, and Volan had actually been considering giving it a name. It was a surprisingly noble bird despite its rough ways, so he wanted to call it something that reflected that. Something like… Phillip. Or Edgar. One of the two.

Volan shut the door firmly closed when he got back in the house, shaking off his snow-encrusted boots and coat and immediately making his way into the kitchen. The smell of hot chocolate on the stove naturally drew his shivering self towards it so that he may bask in its warmth.

"Figures you'd come right to the kitchen," Thrin rolled her eyes.

"Shoveling three freaking feet of snow off the walk isn't exactly a picnic," Volan shot back.

Oliver, Thrin's Emboar, shot a small blast of fire at the pot of boiling chocolate, warming it further. " _It's almost ready!_ " he announced grandly. " _Soon we shall drink to our man Volan's victorious battle against the wintery wrath of nature!_ "

Volan snorted. Oliver… what a ham he was.

"What did he say this time?" Thrin grinned.

"Just think of something completely over the top about me shoveling snow and you'll probably be close," replied the only member of the family that could understand their Pokemon.

Faintly, over the sounds of the kitchen, the doorbell could be heard ringing.

"Is that going to be ready anytime soon?" Volan asked, pointing at the hot chocolate. "I think we have company."

"I was going to save this for when Stephan and Bianca get here, but sure," she digressed.

When he got to the door, Volan leaned in and squinted through the little peephole to see who was on the other side. But alas, the view through the one-way window was blurred, probably from a snowflake or two that had landed on it and melted. Shrugging, Volan decided that there was no point in peeking when he could simply open the door and be surprised, he grabbed the handle and pulled.

And when he came face-to-face with they who stood on the other side…

"VOLAAAAAN!"

Without any warning whatsoever, over three hundred pounds of human, heavy winter gear, and luggage fell on top of him. All of which were covered in snow.

"We missed you soooo much~!" squealed Bianca, snuggling her freezing-cold cheek into his neck.

"Th-They're here!" Volan gasped as loudly as he could, in hopes that Thrin would hear. "Now get these two off of me before they turn me into the Gastly of Christmas Past!"

-.-.-.-.-.

 **Christmas Eve**

The sun had already set and all the Christmas lights were lit, giving the Gurei household a festive, welcoming glow as their holiday celebration continued full swing. All around the house, multicolored lights glowed and iridescent bulbs shimmered. Their mother, Emily Gurei, was working late at the lab again, but thanks to Thrin's careful following of her recipes and the help of their Unovan friends, the feast was well on its way. Already, the smells of roast Pidgeotto, potatoes, Cherubi sauce, and other delights were streaming out of the kitchen and throughout the rest of the house.

In the living room, mugs of hot chocolate and plates of Christmas-themed cookies were passed around the coffee table as the two groups from different nations cheerfully mingled. Luckily, just as Volan and Thrin were able to, Stephan and Bianca could speak enough Kalosian to happily communicate with Calem and the rest. Kalosian _was_ their second national language, after all.

Bianca was wearing a beautiful green-and-red Christmas sweater and a special matching beret decorated with holly to celebrate the occasion. She could make friends almost instantly with anyone and everyone, so it was no shock to see her flitting from person to person with a huge beaming smile on her face that never faded. She asked endless questions about what Kalos was like and was, in turn, asked similar questions about Unova. The blonde girl was by far the easiest person to talk to and the life of any party, so she did most of the talking and was generally _very_ popular among the Kalos crowd. Shauna and Serena were especially taken with her, if the inquiries about Unovan fashion and compliments to her hair they bombarded her with was any indication.

Stephan also had a holiday sweater on, a white one with green and red stripes like a candy cane, and it wasn't nearly as intricately-patterned as Bianca's. He, too, was an easy person to get along with, but didn't yammer on to quite the same level as Bianca did. He found himself getting much less attention than she, but he didn't mind. Calem and Tierno talked to him a lot about Pokemon and various Trainer-related things, and whenever they were otherwise occupied, he talked to Volan and Thrin about how things were back in Unova. Tierno, in particular, was someone he got along very well with, as both were driven by great enthusiasm and passion for a single goal – Pokemon training.

"Isn't this great?" Bianca suddenly exclaimed, sipping her hot chocolate and giving a little shiver of excitement. "And to think nothing could top the last holiday we spent together!"

"It wouldn't be hard to top _that_ holiday," Volan quipped, thinking back to Anville Town. "All you'd have to do is get rid of Trip, Cilan, and Team Plasma, and that'd be that."

"Aw, don't go all Ebenezer Scraggy on us," said Stephan, throwing an arm around the much thinner boy's shoulders. "That was an awesome Christmas and don't deny it, even with Team Plasma around to ruin things!"

Trevor blinked. "Y-You… celebrated with a criminal organization?" he asked quietly.

"No, we celebrated by beating them up!" Stephan laughed. The sound was loud enough to make Trevor jump in his seat. "Oh, I've gotta tell you all the story! So, it was Christmas Eve in Anville Town, see, and…"

As Stephan launched into a tale of the original Unova gang's past Christmastime exploits, much to the fascination of the five Kalosians, the doorbell chimed from over in the foyer.

"Oops, sorry, Stuven!" Shauna apologized, getting up. "I'm gonna go anservine the door! Be right back!"

When she left, three heads wearing identical grins immediately turned to view Stephan's inevitable reaction to someone getting his name wrong for the first time in over a year.

The sound of the front door opening, and then closing a second after, piqued Volan's curiosity. He excused himself to go join Shauna with what he assumed was another guest, carrying his mug with him. Stephan's dramatic storytelling grew quieter in his ears as he left the room and strode toward the front door.

And the second he saw who Shauna had let in, he was shocked numb. Impossibly, even with the thick wool coat and toque she wore, he knew who it was.

The sound of glass shattering made the whole house go quiet.

Not even caring about the hot chocolate now soaking into his socks (at least, a tiny part of his mind noticed, it was warm), Volan stared at the newcomer in complete and utter shock. Before his very eyes, Caitlin was shrugging off her winter clothes and allowing her gorgeous fan of hair to fall down loosely behind her. His breath hitched in his throat when he saw that she was wearing a loose, long-sleeved green gown dusted with glitter in place of her usual pink one.

It couldn't be. It simply _couldn't_ be.

She stood up after undoing her knee-high winter boots and met Volan's gaze with a _stunning_ smile. "Happy Holidays," she wished him, stepping forward to wrap her arms around him. "You surprised to see me?"

Still a little numb, Volan hugged her tightly back and laughed softly as their foreheads met. "Surprised doesn't even begin to cover it," he murmured, reaching up with a slightly-shaking hand to touch her cheek. "H-How did you even… w-we never even had a chance to plan anything…"

"It was all thanks to your friend Shauna," Caitlin smiled, almost glowing with happiness as she pulled away from him to regard the girl that eagerly stood watching them. "She sent a letter explaining everything. I'm so sorry I haven't been available for the past while… so the moment I got the ticket I knew I was going. I've missed you just as much as you've missed me, you know."

Then she was leaning into him again, one arm around his waist and the other reaching for his hand. He took it and smiled a wobbly smile. He felt as if he was close to tears.

"Thank you," he whispered, hugging her close. "Th-This really means a lot to me."

Caitlin took her hand away and used it to gently push his head sideways until their noses were aligned. In the softest and most tender voice imaginable, she replied, "It meant a lot to me, too. When I was told that you were feeling down because I wasn't there for you. Volan, I love you, and I'll always be with you no matter the distance between us."

Her hand smoothly slid down the side of his face and came to rest at his heart, and she leaned in to place a chaste kiss on his lips. The moment they made contact, all of Volan's doubts vanished. That single moment of feeling her lips against his was enough to remind him of everything – home, their adventures together, why he loved her so dearly.

"You dressed up," Volan remarked when they drew apart, stroking the sparkling material that covered her shoulder.

"Since we haven't seen each other so long, I had to put in extra effort to take your breath away," Caitlin replied slyly, and hummed at the way he caressed her.

"You don't need to put in any work at all to do that, I promise you," he told her, moving in to capture her lips with his own…

Shauna coughed.

Reluctantly, the couple put some distance between each other, although their hands inevitably found their respective partner again as if drawn together by magnetism.

"You two are so aerodorable together!" Shauna punned, grinning from ear to ear. "Go back to the living room and make yourselves comfortable, okay? I'll clean up the mess Volan made."

She shot him a smirk. He stuck his tongue out at her.

When Volan led Caitlin into the house, Thrin was already on her feet with an expression of worry, demanding, "Volan, are you alri–"

She saw Caitlin and stopped _dead_ in her tracks.

"Hey, our Christmas present arrived!" said Trevor, for once without a trace of apprehension in his voice. "We all pitched in to get those plane tickets so that your friends could come!"

"Your friends _and_ your little lady there," Tierno added, winking. "Wow, she's beautiful! You're a lucky guy, my man!"

Volan could tell that the large boy's words were honest and with pure intentions, and blushed at the attention. Caitlin was even more flattered than he was, and turned a modest shade of pink.

Introductions were made and Caitlin hugged each of the girls in turn, except Bianca, whom she narrowly ducked away from before she could be strangled. She and Volan sat down beside each other, and were given extra mugs of hot chocolate to enjoy.

It was like Volan's Christmas had gotten a thousand times brighter with Caitlin's smile there to light up his world. They joined in the friendly chatter with ease, sharing short, innocent kisses every now and then. Their public displays of affection were much to the delight of Bianca, Shauna, and Serena, who constantly gushed over how sweet they were and how fabulous they'd look in a tuxedo and wedding dress (which made both halves of the couple smile shyly, each of them embarrassed but secretly enjoying the implications). Bianca was just in the middle of describing in vast detail how big of a 'Voltlin' shipper she was, when Thrin announced that dinner was ready and thusly put an end to the embarrassing discussion.

Thank Arceus.

Once everyone was stuffed full of food, they went back to the living room so that their stomachs could cope. They ended up watching a movie – there was nothing Christmas-themed in the Gurei household, so they settled for _Tarzilla vs. Venomothra_ instead. After watching the giant nuclear Tyranitar battle the equally giant Venomoth and bring Saffron City to ruins, the TV was flicked off and the coffee table put away. The sofa and armchairs were pushed as far back as possible, clearing a wide space in the middle of the living room.

It was time to dance.

Bianca slid a CD into the radio and put on some energetic 50's music, and everyone divided up into pairs. Each pair went one at a time, releasing their pent-up energy and attempting to floor the rest of them with their best jive moves. The energetic Bianca and dance-obsessed Tierno went as the only two people that could possibly keep up with each other. Then came best friends Calem and Serena, who couldn't continue after Calem accidentally dropped Serena when he tried to dip her, because they were too immobilized with laughter to go on. Thrin and Stephan went together just for the heck of it, and were followed by Shauna and Trevor – whom some found delight in teasing when Shauna tripped over Trevor's foot and landed on top of him in a very suggestive position.

Finally, it was only natural that Volan and Caitlin would take their dance together. Even if they hadn't wanted to, which was ridiculous, they would've ended up being forced to anyway by Bianca and their other 'fangirls'. They clasped their hands together and moved almost flawlessly to the beat of the music, letting their feelings naturally flow out and express themselves in their dance moves while their laughter twined together as intimately as their fingers. Everyone else cheered and clapped in rhythm with the music, encouraging them to dance their hearts out.

When the music came to a dramatic close and the couple found themselves facing each other, pulses still racing from their exertion, Caitlin rushed forward and kissed Volan in the heat of the moment. The contact lasted several seconds, and was as soft and wonderful as it always was. They pulled apart and, blushing, took a bow for their audience.

Each pair danced a few more rounds, letting time fly by as they enjoyed themselves. All too soon, it came time for Calem, Serena, Tierno, Shauna, and Trevor to head home. They said their goodbyes and wishes for a Merry Christmas as they retrieved their coats and boots in the foyer. Shauna, still a bit drunk from the adrenalin rush from their dancing competition, left the house still holding Trevor's hand – which, judging from the smile on his face, he had noticed and decided to let it slide.

Besides the Gureis, only Bianca, Stephan, and Caitlin were left.

They put the furniture back where it belonged and finally allowed themselves to unwind after the excitement brought on from their holiday get-together. Volan could not stop glancing at Caitlin, who still refused to be parted from him, and she kept trying to meet those glances. There was definite tension between the two. Thrin picked up on it and loudly invited Bianca and Stephan down to the basement to play video games, claiming that she'd crush them in _Malamario Kart_ and _Super Slowbros_. The promise of a competition did the trick, and Thrin herded them downstairs with a parting wink in Volan's direction.

"Your sister needs to learn how to be more subtle," Caitlin said affectionately, shimmying over to wrap her arms more intimately around him. "If she wanted to give us some time alone, she may as well have just asked everyone else to leave."

"Let her have her fun," Volan responded, sliding his arm around her waist to more comfortably accommodate her.

They sat there in silence, gazing up at the shining Christmas tree that dominated the room despite being set off in a corner. Most of the other lights had been turned off, leaving the living room at a comforting dimness.

"I like your new friends," Caitlin spoke up, keeping her voice soft. "They're all so sweet. And they did so much to bring us together for the holidays."

"I'm lucky to have them," he digressed.

"You are," she agreed. "I can't imagine what it would've been like for you if you hadn't made any friends here."

Laughing, Volan replied, "But I did, so it's not something worth worrying about. Speaking of, did you notice how cute Trevor and Shauna were together? Or was that just me?"

"Oh, weren't they?" Caitlin gushed. She kicked her feet ecstatically like a three-year-old. "We need to make them a couple before I leave for Unova. That'd be so precious."

Volan reached out with his free hand and stroked her leg, almost wishing that he was touching bare skin and not her stocking. "And if we can't, I'll be sure to send you pictures when they eventually do become a thing."

"I need that," she declared, with such passion that it made Volan laugh again.

"Anything for my princess," he said lovingly. He gathered her in his arms and shifted her over to his lap, before laying his head in the crook of her neck and letting out a hum of contentment. His cheek was against her green dress – the sparkles gave it a scratchy quality but it otherwise felt wonderful.

Her arms now around his neck, Caitlin placed a hand on his head and ran her fingers through his hair. Volan loved it, as he did every moment he could take with his beloved. He could feel her heartbeat, he noticed. She was warm and comforting and showered him with her love. And what made it better was that he was able to do the same. It was all he could do for the maiden that had stolen his heart away.

"I love you," he murmured. He tilted his head up and pressed a kiss against her neck.

Caitlin's soothing strokes faltered, and he was close enough to feel her skin heat up. Her dress was thin enough to make that possible.

"I love you too," she replied at last.

They separated, looking deep into each other's eyes. They did nothing more, just sat and silently admired the other. He was spellbound, indeed almost hypnotized by how lovely his princess was up close, scarcely even noticing her hand trailing up his neck and coming to rest against the back of his head. The light from the tree put her face half in shadow, but illuminated the other half in enough detail for him to see every eyelash, every twitch of muscle, even every indent of her lips…

Those same lips smashed into his, spreading their fire throughout his body. He feverishly kissed her back, the passion with which he claimed her fueled by a year of pent-up desperation to have her in his arms again. Every movement of her mouth over and around his sent an electric shock through his nerves, leaving nothing but pleasure in its wake. She climbed onto his lap and pushed him farther back in his seat, fingers tugging at his hair, kissing him harder. He placed his hands on her waist and held her close, feeling heat rising from her skin and through the fabric of her gown.

For a second, they surfaced for a breath of air. Caitlin's gasp tore through the silence before she hungrily dove back upon him for more. Volan reveled in how her lips slid back and forth over his, every breath through his nose filled with her scent. The air was turning hot and heavy with their unrelenting _want_ for each other. He felt warm skin on his down below, and instinctively knew that her hand was pulling his shirt up so that she might touch his chest unobstructed. He made no move to stop her, so intoxicated by the intense, lustful kiss that he allowed his own hands to trail up her body and stop at her chest…

A low, muffled moan came from her throat, and she tilted her head so as to deepen their kiss until it would go no further.

The sound and sudden rush of pleasure woke up a part of Volan's mind that had long since fallen under Caitlin's spell.

 _Take it slow…_ the voice of his princess whispered to him, the same voice she had used over a year before. _I want to take it slow…_

The young woman on top of him wasn't his princess anymore.

Fear jolted through him all of a sudden, and he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her forcefully away from him.

They took deep, unsteady breaths as they slowly regained control over their senses, which they now knew had run wild. They gazed into each other's eyes, watching as the hunger faded and was replaced by clarity.

"Take it slow…" Volan murmured. "We were supposed to honor that agreement…"

"I… lost myself," Caitlin replied, her tone dejected, pathetic. "I-I'm sorry… I should have had better control over my feelings for you."

"Likewise," he answered. Tilting her chin up so that she was no longer staring uselessly at her hands, he continued, "This… this never happened, okay? We're still the same people we were before. Don't be scared."

When they next kissed, it was less about need and more about love. They kept it simple, pressing their lips together before drawing away when both were satisfied. Caitlin smiled, worry no longer clouding her beautiful features, and the sight made Volan smile as well.

She asked to dance with him again. The next song on Bianca's CD was a soft, slow melody that filled the dim room with a sense of security. They swayed to the music together, hands placed at each other's sides and foreheads meeting tenderly.

"You can have my bed tonight," Volan offered. "Stephan will probably take the spare bedroom, and Bianca will sleep with Thrin… that only leaves the couch up here, and I can't have my princess take the couch when there's somewhere else she might want to sleep."

"Don't be silly," she giggled. "Keep your bed."

"No," he playfully argued. "You're the guest and deserve better accommodations."

They bickered as they danced, well and truly relaxed now that they had fallen into their old, comfortable rhythm. The incident was behind them now, and they were back to where they belonged. Maybe someday they'd be comfortable for such passionate situations, but presently, they just wanted to be Volan and Caitlin, the same couple that had fallen in love back in Unova.

Volan won the argument eventually, and led Caitlin off to his room. He brought her luggage up and faithfully turned around when she changed into her nightgown. They kissed again, deeply and lovingly, never letting their emotions take over.

The kiss carried a silent promise – to be there for each other, no matter what. Strangely, Volan felt confident that he could follow that promise through to the end.

"Merry Christmas, Volan," whispered Caitlin, bringing him in for a final kiss.

"Merry Christmas," he repeated. "And sweet dreams."

With a dazzling smile, his beloved crooned, "With you here, they couldn't be anything else."

Arceus, how she made his heart skip a beat. He closed the door behind him, making his way back to the living room and laying down on the sofa in front of the Christmas tree. As he lay there, waiting for sleep to claim him, he thought about his friends.

Thrin… Calem and Shauna… Trevor, Tierno, and Serena… Bianca and Stephan… and Caitlin… He was the luckiest teenager on the face of the earth to be able to count such loveable and loyal fellows among his friends.

Tomorrow, he'd thank them all for giving him such a fantastic holiday. They deserved to know how much they meant to him.

-.-.-.-.-.

 **I love both Bianca and Stephan and simply had to bring them back. It isn't Christmas in the Legendverse without them! And apparently it was only Unova that learned to get Stephan's name right.**

 **There was no way I could leave out the Unovan group chat, which I've agreed to make a regular thing in "Flight of a Legend".**

 **Speaking of that, actually, this is my first real attempt to write some actual sin. I figure that if I want Volan and Caitlin to continue making progress in their relationship, I need to get comfortable with writing intense, borderline sexual stuff. That's why I'd really like some feedback, especially if any of you are used to reading or writing it.**

 **Alright guys, this was over six thousand words dedicated to my favorite couple and I did it all in one day! Consider it my Christmas gift to you, my wonderful readers and fellow Voltlin fans! You guys are absolutely awesome. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing my stories, and for supporting me all throughout the writing process.**

 **~ Cottonmouth25**


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